I was fortunate enough to be among the record crowds that descended on Melbourne Park for the Australian Open this year and it was amazing to see the buzz around the city. Congratulations to Craig Tiley and the team at Tennis Australia on an incredible fortnight. As I said in an interview with The Age, it reinforced the importance of major events to Victoria’s economy.

In recent months we’ve witnessed huge crowds attend events including the AFL Finals, T-20 World Cup and Spring Racing Carnival. It’s a testament to the hard work of Visit Victoria and we now look forward to next month’s Australian Grand Prix which is expected to smash last year’s record attendances.

As we reported in our return to office survey at the end of last year, we are seeing more people head back to the city to work which is a good thing for CBD-based businesses. As I told the Australian Financial Review this week, 2023 will be an important year for Melbourne’s CBD and we must remain focused on continuing to support this critical part of Victoria and Australia’s economy.

This week we are excited to launch a new event ‘Why ESG is good business’ which will be held on Wednesday 22 March. It will focus on demystifying Environmental, Social and Governance and look at why it’s good for business. It will be hosted by the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre which is committed to providing strong sustainability outcomes.

Bea Boccalandro, author of Do Good at Work: How Simple Acts of Social Purpose Drive Success and Wellbeing, will deliver the keynote address and will be backed a panel of expert speakers across a range of industries who will share real life examples of ESG and how its contributed to their businesses. You can register now for this event here.

ESG and the ongoing challenges and opportunities across the energy sector will be major focus for us during 2023 to help businesses of all sizes and industries transition to a circular, climate-resistant economy. It will also be the theme of the 2025 World Chambers Congress (WCC) and we are committed to working across this space in ways that will empower, inspire and educate Victorian business into the future.

The Chamber is committed to being a leader in the ESG movement and we know it will help you navigate your business for ESG outcomes too.

I look forward to seeing many of you at our first major event of the year tomorrow as the Victorian Chamber Presents ‘The Road to the 2026 Victoria Commonwealth Games’ lunch with the captain of the Australian Diamonds netball team Liz Watson and CEO of the Victoria 2026 Commonwealth Games Jeroen Weimar at the MCG. We thank our sponsors Bunnings and Australian Retirement Trust, who have made the event possible.

The event will focus on the opportunities for businesses in Regional Victoria as we look ahead to 2026. We know many businesses in the regions continue to face challenges, particularly those still affected by last year’s floods. Later this month I will be meeting with leaders of Victoria’s biggest regional councils so I can get their insights into how we can assist in leveraging opportunities for business.

Have a great rest of the week.